The present invention is directed to a crimping tool which can be used to attach compression sleeves on plastic pipes. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a crimping tool which can be actuated manually or by a power or hand tool.
Available crimping tools include U.S. Pat. Nos. D303,917; 3,958,442; 4,221,048; 4,337,635; 4,342,216; 4,480,460; 4,508,888; 4,604,890; 4,796,461; 5,012,666; 5,094,097; 5,280,716; 5,596,800; 5,611,236; and 5,743,131. These prior art devices have any number of draw backs. Some require two handed operation; others require repeated gripping and release as the ratchet mechanism operates the crimping device. Still other devices are bulky and difficult to operate. Finally, some employ hydraulics or have other construction features which make them costly.
The present invention is a manually operable crimping tool comprising a first jaw member for engaging an element to be crimped; a handle fixedly attached to said first jaw member; a second jaw member for engaging the element to be crimped, said second jaw member being pivotally attached to said first jaw member, a crimping-force-application assembly including i) means to pivotally attach said assembly to one of said first and second jaw members; ii) means to releasably engage another one of said first and second jaw members, said means to releasably engage being movable between a first open position permitting movement of said first and second jaw members onto and off of the element to be crimped and a second engaged position permitting application of a crimping force; iii) manually operable means to reduce a distance between said means to pivotally attach said assembly and said means to releasably engage thereby causing said first and second jaw members to interact to crimp the element therebetween. The second pivotal jaw is preferably spring biased toward the first jaw. A secondary means to reduce the distance is provided to enable a power tool to be used to provide the crimping force.
Elements to be crimped onto the plastic pipe include various fixtures as well as couplers used in connecting adjoining sections of pipe. These elements are typically made of brass, copper, or zinc coated copper but it will be understood the crimper of the present design can be employed to crimp elements made of other materials. It will be understood that the term "plastic pipe and the like" includes conventional pex (cross-linked polyethylene) pipe as well as other plastics, thin walled metallic pipe, and a pipe popular in Europe which sandwiches a thin walled metallic pipe between two thicknesses of plastic pipe.
Various other features, advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after a reading of the following specification.